1 week to go...

This time next week (Greek time that is), I will have had my introductory lesson with my students. We are still unclear how many there will be in the class but the countdown begins! Today all the teachers met this morning to discuss the coming term and think about how we can make the most of the first day of school. There is lots to prepare so please pray that in my work I am diligent and above all do everything for the glory of God (Colossians 3:23). I am both excited and apprehensive. In other news, I have applied for a Greek language course at the University of Athens. It is an 8 month course where I will have two 3hr lessons per week. So long as my application goes through ok, I will start the course on the 1st October!

My oven-proof dish turned out
not to be so oven-proof!

It will be great to begin to improve my Greek. Today I again found myself in the middle of a group conversation thinking to myself, '...ok so I can hear the words you must and students, what are they talking about?' Thankfully a translation followed. Please continue to pray that I get to know my neighbours. When I leave in the morning I always see my neighbour who owns the flower shop - kali mera!

As I write this my neighbour who lives in a different building but whose flat faces mine has been rather loud towards someone. Now maybe this is a cultural thing, but I'm not so sure. Please pray about all this and that in less peaceful moments, God's peace will become known. I still have a lot to learn about Greek culture and also realise that God has placed me in an area of Athens where there will be lots of different people going through different things in their daily lives (me being one of them). Psalm 16:8 is very much pressed upon my heart.

Tomorrow is Friday and you know what that means? It's immigration office day. Now that I have all my paperwork I am confident that by this time tomorrow I will be the elated owner of a residents permit. It will be an early start but I trust it will be worth it - even if I don't receive a bottle of Ouzo.